Fastening-type security seal

ABSTRACT

A fastening-type security seal comprises a sealing body for sealably receiving the free end of an elongated fastening portion and an identification tag, all integrated, one with the other. The identification tag is formed with a weakening line extending from a first side edge to a second side edge of the tag, dividing it into a first region on one side and a second region on the other side of the line. The identification tag is positioned between the sealing body and the fastening part so that, in use, the tag effectively forms part of fastening portion. A pulling tab is situated on the identification tag adjacent one of the ends of the weakening line, which enables one to tear the tag, thus separating the first region from the second region.

This invention refers to a fastening-type security seal made from asingle piece of plastic material. This type of seal has a sealing bodyforming a tunnel, provided internally with at least one tooth, and anelongated part, or flexible strap, with one end as an integral part ofthe body, and the other end free. Along the elongated part a series ofsealing formations is provided, so that, when the free end is insertedinto the tunnel of the sealing body and pulled out at the other end ofthe tunnel, the sealing formations successively engag with the tooth ina ratchet-like manner to prevent withdrawal of the strap part from thetunnel.

Security seals of the type mentioned above are widely used, including asfasteners. However, when they are used as security seals, anidentification tag, usually forming an integral part of the body, servesto personalize the seal by means of a number and/or bar code. The tag islocated on the side of the body opposite that of the elongated orfastening part.

In practice, there are two drawbacks in this well-known type of seal.First, it is essential that the fastening part present considerablestrength in the longitudinal direction, in view of the use of the deviceas a fastener, that is to say, the seal is tightened around the objectthat is being closed. It is evident that a low-resistance part of thefastener would run the risk of breaking during normal use. Thus, when itis desired to open the closed object, it is necessary to break thefastening part. This is done by cutting it with a pair of scissors, aknife or the like. In addition to the inconvenience of the need forscissors or knife to cut th seal, the pair of scissors or knife itselfmay damage the closed object, thus rendering it useless for subsequentuse. For instance, if the object is a mail or money bag, a cut wouldmake it useless forev r, since any repair would be seen as tamperingwith the bag.

Another drawback is that the identification tag projects out of theclosed bag.

This type of security seal is exemplified in Pat. PI 8906110-1.

The first drawback was partly overcom in some seals by weakening thefastening part, thus allowing the latter to be broken by hand at thetime of opening. However, in order to maintain the physical strength ofthe fastening part at a level compatible with the use of the device, thephysical effort required for breaking the fastening part is excessiveand may injure the fingers of the user. In addition, with a view toavoiding the excessive weakening of the fastening part, a thickening ofthe fastener in the region of the weakening has been created. Thisresults in an increase in the amount of raw material (plastic) and,consequently, the manufacturing cost.

The objective of this invention is to provide a security seal of theabove-mentioned type, which can be removed from a bag by means ofdestruction thereof, without the need for resorting to a cuttinginstrument, without weakening the fastening part and without increasingthe amount of raw material. Instead, the invention provides a decreasein the amount of raw material used in manufacturing the seal. The sealof this invention may be destroyed and removed from the closed objecttotally by hand. In addition, the identification tag no longer projectsout of the closed object, remaining attached, flush with the latter andused to reduce the length of the fastening part.

According to this invention, a security seal of the type described aboveis characterized by the fact that:

a) the tag features a weakening line extending from the first edge tothe second edge of the tag, dividing the tag into one region on one sideof the line and a second region on the other side of the line;

b) the sealing body is integrated with the first region of the tag;

c) the fastening tag is integrated with and extends from the secondregion of the tag; and

d) means of tearing are present on the tag, adjacent to one of the endsof the weakening line, which enable one to tear the tag, separating thefirst region from the s cond region.

It is preferable that the first and second edges of the tag b oppositeedges, the tear line being generally diagonal with respect to the tagand the tear line, comprising a groove on the side of the tag designedto face the object being closed.

It is understood that the identification tag will be located between thesealing body and the fastening part. In this way, the fastening partwill be shortened by an extent equal to the dimension, in thelongitudinal direction, of the tag, reducing the amount of raw materialused.

In addition, since the weakening line extends over at least the width ofthe tag, it is much longer than the weakening region would be if it weremade on the fastening part. Thus, the weakening may be made so as tofacilitate the manual tearing of the tag with minimal physical effort.

The invention will be better understood from the following description,given by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of one side of a security seal manufacturedaccording to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the other side of the same security seal; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the security seal at the moment of beingopened by tearing its identification tag.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a security seal “pull-tight”type presenting the new features of this invention comprising a sealingbody 1 forming a tunnel 2. A flexible sealing tooth 2 a is situated onthe lower side of the tunnel 2, and a ramp-shaped protuberance 2 b islocated on the opposite side.

There is, moreover, a rectangular identification tag 3 with the firstedge 4. The sealing body 1 is integrated with the identification tag 3,being attached to the latter at a region approximately in the middle ofedge 4. It will be seen that the sealing body 1 projects from the face 5of the tag (FIG. 2), this face 5 being the internal face of the tag 3,that is, the face designed for facing the object being closed/fastenedand sealed by the security seal. The base of the sealing body 1 isapproximately in the same plane as the other face or external face 6 ofthe tag 3 (FIG. 1), that is to say, the face designed for facing awayfrom the object being closed/fastened and s al d.

From the middle of the second edge 7, opposite to the first edge 4, ofthe identification tag, an elongated fastening part 8 extends. Thisfastening part 8 has a main extension 9 and a free end 10. Along themain extension 9 and part of the end 10, on the inner side (see FIG. 2)there is a series of sealing formations or teeth 11 suitable forengaging with the sealing tooth 2 a in the tunnel 2 of the sealing body1. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the outer side of the main extension 9 ofthe fastening part has a longitudinal groove 12 that receives theramp-shaped small protuberance 2 b, when it passes through the tunnel 2during application of the seal.

The free end 10 of the fastening part does not have the teeth 11 anddecreases in width to a free tip 13, which may be easily introduced intothe tunnel 2 on the base of the sealing body 1 (FIG. 2). When the freetip 13 of the fastening part comes out at the other side of the tunnel(seen in FIG. 1), it is pulled out by hand until the loop formed by thefastening part 8 reaches the desired size or produces the adequatetension around the object being sealed (for instance, the mouth of abag). As the tip 13 is pulled, the teeth 11 on the main extension 9 ofthe fastening part successively pass through the internal tooth 2 a inthe tunnel 2, the tooth elastically yielding with the passage of eachtooth and then returning to the original configuration, to preventwithdrawal of the elongated fastening part. It will be understood thatthe engagement between the teeth represents a ratchet-like action, itbeing always possible to tighten the loop formed by the fastening part,but not to loosen it.

The inner face 6 of the identification tag is formed of three smallsharp teeth 14, which serve to grasp at the material of a bag when theseal is used to close and seal the bag. This facilitates the tighteningof the seal, preventing it from sliding around the mouth of the bag.

The inner face 6 of the identification tag 3 also posseses a weakeninggroove 15 and a tear-off tag 16. The groove 15 extends from a pointalong the first edge 4 of the tag, in an approximately diagonaldirection, as far as a point at the opposite edge 7 of the tag. Thetear-off tag 16 lies adjacent to the end of the groove 15 at this secondedge 7. It will be seen that the weakening line or groove 15 divides thetag 3 into a first region 17, integrated with the sealing body 1 and asecond region 18 integrated with the fastening part 8.

The security seal is also provided with a small tailpiece 19, ext ndingfrom the base of the sealing body 1. This tailpiece has a ring at itsfree end, which can be used for fixing an address tag or the like.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the seal illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2,in the closed configuration (without the closed obj ct) at the moment ofopening or destroying the seal. FIG. 3 shows th loop formed by thefastening part 8 and the individual identification number (bar code withArabic numerals) on the outer face 6 of the identification tag 3. At themoment of opening, as illustrated, the tear-off tag 16 has already beenpartly pulled and the tag 3 partly tom along the tear line or groove 15.In continuing the action of pulling tag 16, the identification tag 3will be totally tom, from edge 7 as far as edge 4. This will split theidentification tag 3, separating the first region 17 from the secondregion 18, and will totally destroy the identification number and openthe loop formed by the closed seal. The clos d object will thus beopened without any damage, since no cutting tool has been employed forthis purpose.

An essential characteristic of this invention is the fact that the tag 3serves as a connection between the sealing body 1 and the fastening part8, since this reduces the length of the fastening part by the distancebetween the edges 4 and 7 of the tag 3. In this way, the tag itselfsaves raw material otherwise used to form part of the fastener. Thismakes the manufacture of this closing seal more economical. Besides, asalready mentioned, the tag with the groove 15 has a relatively highphysical resistance in the direction of the length of the fasteningpart, but at the same time tearing it is relatively easy. Moreover, asseen from FIGS. 1 to 3, the tunnel length in the direction of fastenerinsertion is of a greater length than the longitudinal extension of thesealing body and also longer than any portion of the security seal bodyregion between the free, non-fastener part end of the sealing strap andthe closest edge of the tunnel. In the Figures the sealing body is alsoshown as having a border region extending about the tunnel having aperipheral edge, and with a portion of that peripheral edge defining aportion of the free, non-fastener part end; and the longitudinal lengthof the sealing body represented by opposing peripheral edge regions ofthe sealing body, is shown to be less than the longitudinal length ofthe tag. The illustrated arrangement, which positions the identificationtag between the sealing body and the fastener part, also renders thesealing strip free of any parallel plane section extending on the sideof the sealing body opposite the fastener strap connection side.

The above description has been made with respect to a presentlypreferable embodiment of this invention, and it should be understoodthat various modifications and alterations are possible, withoutdeparting from the basic concept of the invention. For instance, theweakening line may have any suitable shape; it is not essential for itto be a groove. It could comprise multiple small holes or tears, acombination thereof with a groove or any other weakening that enablesone to tear off the tag 3. Equally, the weakening line does not need tobe diagonal, nor even a straight line. Again, it is enough that itfacilitates the tearing-off of the tag so as to separate the sealingbody 1 from the fastening part 8.

The tearing means is constituted of the pulling tag 16 in the sealillustrated in the drawings. However, they could have other shapes, suchas a pin or other type of protuberance, or even a strap or hole where anon-cutting tool (for example, a hook) could be fitted.

The other features of the seal could be modified too. For instance, theteeth in the fast ning part could be on both sides, instead of only oneside, as illustrated in the mentioned Patent PI 8906110-1.

These and other modifications that do not detract from the basic conceptset forth here should therefore be considered to be within the scope ofthe invention, which is determined by the charact ristics (and theirequivalents) defined in the accompanying claims.

1. A fastening-type security seal comprising: a sealing body forming atunnel containing at least one tooth; an elongate identification tagintegral with the sealing body and having a first edge and a second edgeopposite said first edge, said identification tag being formed with aweakening line which extends from said first edge to said second edge ofsaid tag, dividing the tag into a first region on one side of saidweakening line and a second region on the other side of said line;tearing means formed on said identification tag adjacent one of the endsof the said weakening line, which permit tearing of the tag, separatingsaid first region from said second region; and an elongated fasteningpart having one end integral with said second edge of saididentification tag and a second free end, a series of sealing formationsbeing provided along the elongated fastening part, so that when the freeend of said fastening part is inserted into the tunnel of the sealingbody and pulled out at the other side of the tunnel, the sealingformations will be successively engaged with the tooth in a ratchet-likemanner, preventing withdrawal of the elongated fastening part from thetunnel, wherein said sealing body is integral with said first region ofsaid identification tag being attached thereto at said first edge of thetag, whereby said tag lies between the sealing body and the elongatedfastening part, and wherein said first edge has a transverse widthgreater than the transverse width of said sealing body, wherein saididentification tag is substantially rectangular shaped with said firstand second edges defining first and second longitudinally spaced ends ofthe substantially rectangular shape identification tag, and first andsecond laterally spaced edge extensions of said identification tagdefining remaining side portions of the substantially rectangular shapedidentification tag, and that said weakening line extends from a pointadjacent a junction between said first laterally spaced edge extensionof the tag and one of said ends of the tag to a point adjacent ajunction between the second opposite laterally spaced edge extension ofthe tag and the other end of the tag.
 2. A security seal according toclaim 1, characterized in that said identification tag has anidentification area and that said weakening line passes through saididentification area.
 3. A security seal according to claim 1,characterized in that said weakening line is a straight line.
 4. Asecurity seal according to claim 1, characterized in that said weakeningline comprises a groove.
 5. A security seal according to claim 1,characterized in that said tearing means comprises a pulling tab.
 6. Asecurity seal according to claim 2, characterized in that said weakeningline is a straight line.
 7. A security seal according to claim 2,characterized in that said weakening line comprises a groove.
 8. Asecurity seal according to claim 3, characterized in that said weakeningline comprises a groove.
 9. A security seal according to claim 2,characterized in that said tearing means comprises a pulling tab.
 10. Asecurity seal according to claim 3, characterized in that said tearingmeans comprises a pulling tab.
 11. A security seal according to claim 4,characterized in that said tearing means comprises a pulling tab.
 12. Asecurity seal according to claim 1, wherein said sealing body has atunnel length along a direction of fastener part insertion greater thana length of the extension of said sealing body in a direction in commonwith an elongation direction of said tag.
 13. A security seal accordingto claim 1, wherein said sealing body has a tunnel length along adirection of fastener part insertion which exceeds a length of extensionof a security seal body region extending between an adjacent most freeend of said security seal to a tunnel edge closest to said free end ofsaid security seal.
 14. A security seal according to claim 1, whereinsaid sealing body comprises a bordering region extending about an endopening of the tunnel, and the bordering region having an outerperipheral edge that defines a free end of said security seal, and withthe peripheral edge having a width, in a common direction of elongationwith said tag, that is less than the elongation length of said tag. 15.A security seal according to claim 1, wherein said weakening line has alength that is greater than a maximum width of said sealing bodyrelative to a reference plane flush with a surface of said tag on whichidentification is provided.
 16. A security seal according to claim 1,wherein said sealing body is free of any flat, parallel sided panelextension on a side of said sealing body opposite that receiving saidtag.
 17. A security seal according to claim 1, wherein said first edgehas free edging portions extending to opposite sides of said sealingbody.
 18. A security seal according to claim 1, wherein the sealing bodyis centrally located along the first edge.